


Monochrome

by sciencepun (orphan_account)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Anko Family - Freeform, Brotherly Love, DenNor, Human Names, IceSey, Multi, Nationverse, Nordics, Whale Brothers, Wolves, aph denmark - Freeform, aph finland, aph iceland, aph norway - Freeform, barbarians - Freeform, future headcanon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 10:26:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3806923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sciencepun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eirikur has hidden away for years, licking his wounds after his home was nearly destroyed. Adamantly refusing to ask for help, he must embark on a dangerous journey to find the components needed for a machine to save his home... and his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discord

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on an old rp with a friend. We never got to finish it so I thought that I may as well take the idea and put it into fanfiction. Also I thought I may as well use human names because if I like it, I’ll present it to my English teacher for her opinion! Hope you enjoy! PS. update (02/03/2016) thankyou to lovedherdead for being my beta reader!

Left-- right - each movement was so quick, Eirikur practically danced through the city. A city so old that he's grown to forget its name. So old that each building still matched those at home. After one hundred years, he assumed they'd look a bit different; after all, this was the mainland. Yet most of it was unchanged: the only difference being the decay that came with time.

He shook his head, in the hope it could clear his mind of the ghosts that he felt around him; he picked up the pace, navigating the relics. And that’s when he ran right into the new city.

It was a bubble. 

A literal bubble. 

Hovering about a metre from the ground, supporting thousands of levels of buildings: compact pod housing, a buried dome for a pool, rows of neat circular shops and people floating about on space-age contraptions. Certainly not the buildings he was accustomed to. He stood in awe for just one more minute, before composing himself, and darting towards his only chance of survival.

Then he was running as fast has his legs would take him; along the smooth white flooring tiles, heading for the shops he’d spotted from outside - all the while desperately trying to hide. Thankfully, though, he blended in quite well; vintage clothing was in style. As he neared what appeared to be a lift, he slowed to a brisk walk. He hesitated for a moment, then entered the lift, keeping his head down. At least, it appeared to be a lift. It was a smooth and see-though contraption, shaped like an egg. Probably not the best way to travel if he wanted to keep a low profile, but unfortunately, it seemed to be the only way up. He looked around for a button that might be the floor number. There weren’t any. How was he... the contraption was still for a moment more before it shot into the sky, an electrical current holding everything in place. It seemed to be heading up at top speed, with no intention of stopping. Was it sending him to an authority? Had it noticed that he wasn’t meant to be there? Eirikur was just about ready to take a leap of faith through the glass walls, when the elevator jerked to an abrupt stop, just before a row of mechanics shops. Relieved, he stepped through the now-open doors into a busy pathway. Exactly where he needed to be. Though it confused him: it was as if the lift had somehow read his mind and inferred where he wanted to go. It’d better not have inferred anything else, or he was screwed.

Now that he felt calmer, he decided that he may as well look around. Things seemed a complete contrast to when he was last here. People dressed as if they were in a fantasy novel; there were dresses that seemed to be made of fire, ice or water. In some cases, it looked as if people were on fire. There were jackets that looked like cobwebs. Around people’s wrists, there were what seemed to be elongated bubbles, in a variety of colours. There were also people dressed like him; minimalist. And the walls were adorned with an abundance of maps above glowing doorways. They were clearly different countries, but the words above them always read ‘Pangea’ and then a number. He passed a number of doors like this while walking. He chose to leave them for exploring at a later date. After all, if he succeeded, he could return whenever he wished. That thought alone kept him from stopping at every new, exciting thing as he strolled through this bright and overly-clean level of the city. It still struck him as strange: this bubble was an entire city? He didn't expect things to change so drastically in one century.

Eventually, Eirikur reached a building named ‘Stun’. It was a curious-looking place, with old-fashioned stone walls and the strong scent of chemicals. Interested, Eirikur wandered inside to inspect, and was greeted by a young woman in a white coat. She started talking a babble of thousands of languages at high speed, then stopped at the one he was most familiar with. Well, at least the one he could understand best: Norwegian. For some reason she, though having spoken some words in what he assumed was Latin, hadn’t uttered a word of Icelandic. Maybe it was because everyone believed Iceland was destroyed. He furrowed his brow, troubled by remembering the hardships of his own home. The woman began to greet him. She kept adjusting her accent, and every once in a while, made a faint blip of noise that made the area her heart should be glow blue. It took a moment for Eirikur to realise she was a robot. Now even humanoid robots were a thing?

“Hey, can I ask something?”

The robot woman made a low buzzing sound which seemed as if it was meant to be a laugh. He took that as a yes.

“What is this place actually for?”

“Weaponry,” A blue light flashed behind her eyes and she added, “for self-defence only.”

“Of course.”

“Would you be interested in purchasing anything?”

Eirikur spent a moment wondering if there was anything that he would need for his task. A device for knocking people out would probably be useful if anyone recognised him.

“Do you have knock-out gas or similar things?”

With a smile, the robot revealed a web of silver circuits behind probably-ceramic teeth, and disappeared into the back of the store. A moment of waiting passed before Eirikur noticed his problem: he had no money. He had nothing to pay for whatever he decided to buy. And even if he did have money, it would be outdated by now. The robot returned, holding a small pen device with a sharp-looking needle sticking out of the end.

“What’s that?”

“An injection pen.”

“What does it do?” Eirikur frowned.

“If you encounter an attacker, you can extend the needle and inject them with sleeping fluid.”

“How much is it?”

The robot’s eyes lit up blue, and Eirikur was engulfed in bright light. All he could feel was tingling skin and his the blurring. Panic rose in him and he tried to flee, but couldn’t move an inch, thanks to having half of his senses shut down by the beam.

“It costs nothing.” The robot made that same low buzzing sound, as the light faded. “Not for you, Pangea 5.”  
Eirikur froze in shock. Had it recognised him? He was in big trouble if it had. Quickly, he took the pen from its hand and retracted the needle. All he uttered was a murmur of thanks, then he turned to escape.

Upon leaving the building, he took a deep breath. What now? It had identified him as ‘Pangea 5’... what did that mean? What was Pangea? Still in a state of panic, he looked around the shopping area, almost expecting guards to descend on him. But nothing happened; no-one gave him a second look. He slipped the pen into his jacket pocket for future use: perhaps coming back another day was probably a better idea. Or heading to another city. Carefully, so as not to be noticed, he walked among a crowd of teenagers back to the elevator. His only goal to leave safely.

A sharp gasp was heard behind him, making him freeze -

he’d been seen.


	2. Compliments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd been seen.

It’d been a regular day: checking up on his people and making sure that things were running smoothly; when Tino’s eyepiece had lit up with a tiny blip of electronic personified hope.

‘Pangea 5’

With the absence of the Fifth, many had elected to have him removed from the databases; have everyone else bumped up a rank, but Alisk had insisted he be kept there until he formally rejected the union. Of course, Fifth was dead, so it had been accepted as a delusion family member using the posibilty as a cpoing mechanism for the loss.

And yet those words had flashed before his eyes like shining stars of hope... And confusion.

And so he ran.

He ran straight to the shopping district without stopping once. He scanned the crowds, hoping to filter out of all of the crazy fashions the figure of this missing person. It seemed hopeless when he thought about it, there were way too many people for him to actually have a chance at the location of the Fifth without actually entering the crowds. Yet, even then he would be jostled about by the shop-goers.

Then he saw it: an opportunity.

The small nooks in between the shops, rarely filled with stock, they were the perfect place to the watch the crowds from a close range.

He waited there, trying to convince himself that it wouldn't be a hopeless endeavour, that the Fifth wouldn't of vanished by now. He was really back, wasn't he? Was he? Who knew? Who could tell him?

The crowds passed by, a bustle of life and energy- smiling and laughing- sharing their woes with fellows- living.

A flash of platinum among the usual dark colours caught his eye- reflecting in the light: pale skin, pale eyelashes and, trapped between people, the milky white skin of a vampiric being.

"Eirikur?"

The figure stopped and Tino knew that he’d found the right person.

"Eirikur!"

In just a few seconds he found himself and the aged figure of the once childish boy in the nook.

"Please, just act like you never saw me!" Eirikur whispered desperately, a frown across his no longer boyish face, he was leaning away, wriggling and attempting to loosen Tino's grip on his arm.

Tino ignored the instruction and hugged the younger man tightly. It’d been so long since he’d last been able to see Eirikur, let alone hold him close. He was just so overwhelmed to find that this time he was real. Not just an old photo. Not just a magically shimmering and spinning dream. Everything was solid. Everything was _real_.

"It’s been so long..." He smiled widely, finally loosening his clutch on him and allowing his hand to drop so he could hold Eirikur by the shoulders and properly look at him. "You’ve grown so much..."

"Just...just let me go, I need to go..."

"You haven’t changed though, right?"

"I need to go home!" Eirikur finally yelled at him, lurching back suddenly: another attempt at freeing himself. But it had the opposite effect: Tino only tightened his hands. He wasn’t letting him get away again. Not when he hadn’t seen him for so long.

"I need to take you back to see Alisk! He’ll be so surprised!"

"Alisk?"

 _Ah._ Tino had forgotten. The last time Eirikur had seen his brother was probably when he was still going by the name of Lukas.

"Lukas changed his name to Alisk." Tino still wasn't sure why Lukas had changed his name, but the tattoo- the greek word 'catharsis'- on the back of his neck, just beneath his hairline appeard at the same time, and so he decided it was just some sort of poetic hipster thing that he was getting into to distract himself.

He tried to nudge Eirikur toward the nearest gate; they could see Alisk right now, he could even show Eirikur the wonders of the technology that had taken and propelled the world into something right out of a sci-fi novel.

Eirikur didn’t budge. His eyes were locked on him, staring him down. Tino felt himself recoil internally, it made him so uncofortable when people looked at him like that; Eirikur knew that.

"I can’t." He said, a subtle wobble among the the facade of calm.

"Why not?"

"I just can’t see him."

"Then why did you come here?"

Eirikur drew his breath in sharply, as if about to say something, but held back.

"I might be of assistance, you know." Tino hated to be patronsising, but in this sort of situation, he wasn't sure what else he could be to get him to listen.

"I need to find a part for a... machine." Eirikur looked up, pleading, "An old motor engine, I heard that the only place to get them now was in Finland."

"Oh! I can help you with that, just come with me!"

"You’re not taking me home, right?"

"That's the trade off: I give you your machine part if you come home and explain yourself."

"But I can’t go back!" Eirikur was panicking again.

"Why not? It's been a centuary, Eirikur:" Tino lowered his voice sadly. "the others still think that you’re dead..."

For a moment they silently looked at each other and Tino got a good look at the younger man: his normally pale ashy hair was darker than usual and he was shocked to find silver hairs amongst the richer versions of the colour. His lilac eyes were filled with worry and fear and he wore bags beneath them that looked like they’d been there long enough to be considered scars: he hadn't really expected Eirikur to have a steady sleep cycle, though: he wasn't surprised. His skin was almost translucent: he certainly didn’t look like he’d been eating well. Tino took a moment to listen and heard ragged wheezing in the other’s breath. Anyway, Eirikur wasn’t at all well.

Suddenly, a dark look passed across Eirikur’s face.

"Maybe..." He looked positively murderous, "maybe that’s... for the... best."

And, abruptly, a needle entered Tino’s arm and his body went slack as he collapsed, unable to do anyting to protect himself or call for help.

The last thing he saw was Eirikur backing away into the throngs of people, oblivious to his plight.

***

He ran.

And ran.

And ran.

He ran until he somehow found his way to a huge memorial at the centre of the city. Hovering above the glistening azure of the pool, surrounded by parkland; he viewed it from a balcony three quaters of the way. It was the statue that caught him by surprise. Tourists hung around it, taking pictures, filming it; It looked as if some sort of program was being recorded at the base. It must be a famous statue, but that was not what had attracted Eirikur to it. Instead, it was the very face that stared back at him.

It was his own.

The carvings were precise and solid, the details all matched up perfectly; It was probably his brother’s work. At the feet of the figure there were other smaller ones; younger versions of himself. A toddler dressed in what today would be considered too much decoration; the infant’s small, yet large, hands played with braided hair.

The next figure up had a hand placed on the infant’s head protectively. It was a childlike version of himself, cheeks that looked squishy even when made of stone and robes that seemed to drape and move like real fabric. The child hid half behind the original figure and one eye was concealed because the stone bird on it’s head was causing it’s hat to slip over it’s eyes. It was the tiniest of details, but it stirred up memories of his childhood, playing in the warmth of the Danish summer, letting cool breezes press his cheeks with gentle kisses among the endless green of that old forest.

Behind the other side of the main figure, a slightly older boy stood, dressed in more, recent, clothing. He wore a mischievous look in his eyes and a stone amulet around his neck. Eirikur could recall the exact moment which the statue was trying to capture. Though thsi boy looked so much older, this depiction was only a few years older than the previous one, the loss of one carer figure was what- if he remembered correctly- had caused the growth spurt. It was as if his body had recognised that he would need to be mature enough to care for himself soon, and had began changing to accomodate that possible future.

He raised his eyes again to the oldest version of himself. It stood, one leg before the other and leaning slightly forward as if ready to step off of the pedestal and fight to protect his younger selves. Honestly, Eirikur was a little worried for the IQ of the citizens: the statue was a pretty accurate depiction of him, yet they had managed to completely ignore the presence of a supposedly-dead patron.

Next to him on the pedestal stood Lukas- no- Alisk. He stood nobly, a look on his face that Eirikur had seen oh so many times: that slightly annoyed yet protective look. And at the feet of the statue was a smiling child that he’d never seen before in his life. It’s full and fluffy blonde hair brushed over the tips of it’s eyelashes, making it’s eyes hard to see and what looked like string was woven around one of it’s legs. It bore a very slight resemblance to his brother but... That look on it’s face... He’d never seen his brother wear it.

Then it hit him: this was Alisk long before Eirikur had even existed.

This was Alisk before the world had played any part in hurting him.

***

The knock-out serum hadn’t lasted that long, mainly because it was meant to sedate humans, rather than nations. Tino’s immune system had attacked and killed it in less than a minute, leaving him wide awake and in the perfect state to chase after Eirikur. It hadn’t taken long to find him, marvelling at the Prior statue.

"Eirikur, there you are!"

He grabbed Eirikur’s arms to keep him from running away again and he jumped round to face him, fearful.

"You have to come home... I can’t let them keep thinking you’re dead!"

"How many of them actually believe that they aren’t going to see me again?"

Eirikur stood perfectly, a remarkable mirror to the statue behind him, that same hostile expression plastered across his features. he wanted numbers, not words. Why not words? Eirikur loved words. he loved the tales that his brother spun for him and poetry of the likes found in dusty old books at te back of marble libraries. Why would he ask for numbers? Weren't emotions more important?

Something had shifted within Eirikur, Tino had noticed, and promptly began to fear what he had become.

Tino would give him emotions, if a futile attempt to bring back something that he knew within his friend.

"Alisk misses you, he won't let on if he believes that you're gone, but I think that he would be the last to admit your supposed death. It's strange, though, he hasn't been any different to before since you left- uh- sorry, that probably isn't so good for your slef confidence. I'm sure he's hurting, he just won't show it; he loves you really."

"And the others?" Eirikur showed no reaction, was he gone? Was that childlike longing to be needed really gone, too?

"They think you’re dead, though Mathias pretends otherwise for Alisk’s sake. Though, he's really taking it to the next level: did you know that Two- er- Denmark is the only country still sending aid your way."

"They all die before they get to us; there's no way to navigate through the smog by sea or air. Anyway, the only one who’ll believe you is Alisk?"

"Wait, what?" Tino took a moment to try and register what the other was saying.

Eirikur frowned, concentrating obviously on something obscure.

"They’ll just think that you’re crazy if you tell them about me and don’t have any proof." Eirikur began to pull away again.

"Hey! No! You’re coming with me!"

Eirikur looked Tino menacingly in the eye and whispered "If I make a big enough fuss someone will save me."

Tino looked around, panicked. People were already beginning to stare though he wasn’t entirely sure if it was for Eirikur’s reason or for the reason that they matched perfectly to two of the people displayed on the Prior statue. It was most likely both, when he thought about it.

"Fine, fine." Tino lessened his grip. "But come on, Eirikur, they miss you!"

"I... can’t." He protested without reason, Tino wondered why Eirikur even needed such a rare machine. If he needed it for some project, wouldn't he just be better off asking for the parts he needed, rather than trying to steal them? He could get help, the mere fact that he was such an important figure in Pangea would be enough to get people to assist him.

"Can I at least explain all of this?" Tino gestured to the statue. "You deserve to know."

Of course, Tino’s intentions weren’t just to explain the statue. They were to persuade Eirikur to come home, a last resort when all else had failed. He took a deep breath and began:

"About 10 years after you left, Alisk decided that it was no use just sitting around and waiting. Usually, he’s not the one to propose crazy ideas but he did this time. And he said just one word, but it shaped the entire future of the world. Who knew that a single word could have such power? Wow, that sounds like the tagline to a book or..."

Tino trailed off at the impatient look on Eirikur’s face.

"Ah, right, I got distracted... Anyway, he just stood up suddenly and held his hand out and said ‘Union?’ Which is really crazy considering that it was him of all people. He’s the only person who really never beneffited from any union but I guess this time he knew it was the right thing. Of course, this was at a world meeting, so, technically, he asked the whole world to unify. Actually, come to think of it, that was probably what he intended. And there were risks of war all over the place so loads of people just went ‘yeah, okay’ and unified. Of cousre it wasn't that simple, because there were thinsg to discuss and treaties to negotiate, but most people liked the idea of a massive safety net."

Tino laughed, remembering how radical it’d all seemed. Just there talking about wars and trying to patch up the holes in treaties that just kept coming back. And they’d ended up just staying quiet, as if they knew that peace time was over. But it wasn’t over, because Alisk had made his move and played his part; He’d made his decision probably years before; He’d probably planned out his line and had it ready for decades, just waiting for the perfect time to use it. And he’d said it, with a look of solemn understanding on his face at what he was getting himself into for probably the fifth time in his life. And Mathias had noticed that people were hesitatating. Gazing at the statue, Tino recalled the moment clearly: Mathias was clever enough to get that it was probably something to do with the fact that no one else was doing anything: they were waiting for someone to lead the pack. So before anyone could say no, he formally agreed. Tino had done the same, because people saw him as logical, and as a friend.

"So everyone just unified like that and this statue was built to commemorate the event..." Tino trailed off. This time not because Eirikur was giving him a look but because he was simply... gone.

***

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day Eirikur was on the run. He’d slipped away yet again while Tino was deep in thought, gazing lovingly at the so-called 'Prior statue'.

The perfect opportunity.

And now he was running, free again, through the buildings of the old city to find somewhere safe. He was no better off in his plan, but with this new information he had a vague idea of what was going on; and that was enough to complete his task safely. It was enough that, when the time came, he would be able to make his way back to Finland to pick up that machine, with a new understanding of which parts of the building he was most likely to be spotted wandering through.

He was gliding through the stone streets again, free to find somewhere safe.

Then he was falling.

He was failing again.

He plummeted to the bottom of a river long dried and landed painfully in the mud.

He cried out in pain as a needle that should’ve been retracted pierced his hips through two layers of clothing.

Staring up at the sky in horror as his vision went dark he spotted a figure swimming across his vision, closing in on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I will let out all my anger about the sheer pain of mock exams:  
> ( ≧Д≦) 凸(｀0´)凸 (⋋▂⋌) (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻


	3. Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He spotted a figure walking towards him.

Eirikur groaned. Pain filled every part of his body: limbs, chest, head and even his eyes. At least he had something to lay on. A warm, soft fabric with the light scent of mangoes; brushing against his cheeks whenever he attempted movement. His surroundings were quiet, and the day's fading heat made the perfect temperature - kind of warm but still cold. Something he hadn’t experienced since last time summer properly happened at home. It was the first time he’d felt properly peaceful, and it felt amazing. Heart rate slow, breathing deep; whole body feeling completely in balance again. He was practically ready to drift off, and slip into painless oblivion for the next few hours, when the calm was pierced-

“You awake?”

Eirikur leapt up, the soft, feminine voice bringing him to full consciousness. A bad move, he concluded - and, as if to prove his point, he bumped heads with the young woman. Oh... she'd been taking care of him, hadn't she?

Sheer embarrassment seemed to replace his panic. “Sorry!”

 

His head's soft resting place was probably her knees: this realisation turned his cheeks a bright red. There was an exchange of apologetic, awkward eye-contact, as both rubbed the bumps on their heads. He prayed that she wasn’t from the city, or in any way affiliated with Tino; returning wasn't on his immediate list of priorities. Truth be told, he desperately wanted to go home, but he feared that he wouldn’t be able to face them again. Not after all this time away. It was irrational, of course, yet still it held him back and pulled him away. Nervously, he peered around to her, in the hope for a signal of some kind. Preferably one meaning she'd accepted his apology.

 

“No... it’s fine.” She winced slightly, before putting the smile back on her face.

Eirikur breathed a sigh of relief; she made no effort to transport him to the city. In fact, she just stood still.

It was then he got a good chance to look at her. She looked quite young, barely of age - perhaps still a student. Fairly pretty, with large brown eyes which reflected enough light to seem like molten gold in the setting sun. Full lips stunning enough to distract from possible faults. He still noticed the bags under her eyes, and significant pain in her features. And her hair looked quite tired: a warm shade of brown, tied back in a bun that looked about to fall apart and fan out over her shoulders.

 

“Are you sure you’re not cold?” Eirikur gestured to their surroundings, finally asking the question on the tip of his tongue. A sapphire dress hung around her petite shoulders, in a way that made her look sure to freeze, even though under the dress was leggings and comfy-looking winter boots. That might help to keep her warm. Actually, she did look pretty underdressed for the north. Maybe she was from the south and didn’t know what to expect? “There’s not so much sun, so it's colder at night-”

She promptly got up and walked over to him, then smacked him around the head. Well, that was unexpected. He could only frown and rub it in the hope the ache would stop.

“Don’t you recognize me?” The girl narrowed her eyes, and he could feel her gaze bore into him.

“Uh...” He gave her a second glance: perhaps he was missing something, like some sort of birthmark that could separate her from every other woman he’d seen. Okay, that was unlikely. After being alive this long, he really wasn't good at telling people apart, and there was nothing to distinguish her. That just made it harder. “No...? Maybe you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”

“Oh, come on! You’ve only been dead a while, right?”

“Wait, what?”

“You’ve only been gone a while, and I’ve only been gone a few decades.” she arched an eyebrow, as if expecting him to be different (and smarter) than what he was.

Eirikur sighed, slightly angrily. “Can’t you just tell me who you are?”

“Oh,” she pouted, “you don’t remember me? I guess we _did_ only properly meet once...”

 

A sad sigh dragged all the anger from his heart. Was it really anyone’s fault other than his that he’d forgotten her name? Eirikur made an effort to remember how he knew this girl, and how she knew of his predicament. Another pause to stare at her face and wonder if he was missing some crucial piece in the puzzle. Was it possible that she’d been an aid worker or something? One of the ones actually able to make it inside without dying? Or was she a figure from his childhood reborn, with all the memories from her previous life? If he squinted hard enough, he could make her look similar to one of the Inuits who'd taken care of him when he was young. Suddenly, he gave a gasp, the answer coming to him the second she gave it freely:

“I’m Tania.” she frowned at him. “We danced together at that big ball?”

“Oh... I remember,” Eirikur nodded, true to his word. It was the hour before he ran away when they had seen each other. “I went to get you a drink but then something came up.”

“You still owe me that drink.”

That was enough to make Eirikur stare at her in shock. “It’s been... one hundred... years...”

Tania laughed, then punched him playfully in the arm. (For someone he'd met once, violence was starting to seem like her way of affection. He wasn't quite sure how to take this.) “Just kidding! It’s a tactic that they use in movies to tease the hero. And you will be the hero, won’t you? I mean, the only reason you would be here is to save your country, right? That would make you a hero.”

 

For a few moments they just stood, taking in how they’d changed - the longer he spent watching Tania, the more he remembered her. He remembered meeting her and relating to her. He remembered the way that she could make him laugh with simple and light-hearted wit. He remembered the way he could forget his problems listening to her, how everything seemed less important and how she, when she smiled, was the only thing that was really worth anything. But most of all, he remembered how everything had suddenly become better with her before the collapse.

The collapse.

He’d been avoiding thinking about it, but Tania's presence was a painful reminder of that life-changing event.

 

110 years ago.

The evening of the world conference ball, an important night for those wishing to form alliances. He couldn't enjoy himself, though. There had been unwelcome tingling pain in his lungs, but he brushed it off as a result of the poor air quality. So he tried hard. Distracted himself a little. Later that night, however, it had spread to his head and his heart. Still, he hid all discomfort, deciding to keep up the act... then it intensified. Rapidly. Eirikur needed an escape, and managed to run to a hallway - sliding down onto hard floor, convinced he was dying. It was impossible to think straight; he struggled even to breathe.

Panic and adrenaline. Adrenaline and panic.

Nothing he could do took away this intense pain, god, the pain, coursing through every inch of his body. So, upon realising that he could stand, he ran. Running had always been second nature: ever since he learnt how, he’d been running from his problems. That day was no different. Without bidding the others goodbye, he’d vanished into the distance, never to be seen again.

 

“Hey, Eirikur?”

“Hm?”

“You kind of spaced out.”

“Sorry...” A minute passed. Awkward silence. “Anyway, is there any particular reason that _you_ came here, Tania?”

“Just looking for a lifeline!” she laughed heartily.

“Oh, that’s right! You said that you were ‘dead’ too?”

“Complete economic failure, yet somehow I still exist.”

“With me, I’m not even sure what happened...” Eirikur shook his head.

“Maybe,” Tania placed a small hand on his shoulder, “just maybe, we’re destined to live.”

“Maybe...”

“So then, Eirikur, let’s go and grab our chances at living!”

“I think it would be wiser to rest first,” he reasoned, “but yeah, grabbing chances at life is good.”

“I was trying to be dramatic, silly!” Tania’s melodic laugh filled the air, and in that moment, life seemed as simple as it did the day he’d first met her.

 

He explained to Tania his plan, bathing in the glow of the setting sun. He explained the machine and how it would work (well, in theory). There was a chance that if the machine did work, he would be able to both halt and fix some of the problems. He could create temporary homes with built-in early warning systems, able to withstand the dangers of living outside the cities. And with people out of the cities, he could start restoring them to the way they were. He explained each part in exact detail, and where he planned to find it. An engine from the past, used in planes, strong enough to power a vast torrent of water and gusts of wind to clear ash from the fields. A carbon fibre building material and rock-solid foundations, able to stay in place through the most violent of earthquakes and storms. For the machine to be able to work, he would need to rebuild a single power station in a safe part of his home: for that, he'd need generic parts. Cogs and coils and clock parts so everything worked in dainty human-mechanic harmony. He would have to go halfway across the world and back. From China to Japan, America to England. Home being his final destination.

All so he'd one day return to fresh air and clear skies. So that someday, he could hear the people laugh and dance and cheer and cry, like they’d done so much in the time before the collapse. So that maybe he could make his way home to happiness and joy rather than sadness and death. And so he could live, for once, while the people live with him.

He was so _sick_ and _tired_ of people dying in famine. It got boring when yet another hundred people developed yet another lung condition, ending up just killing them. It was tiresome to spend days on end running around with the geologists that were still alive, searching for solutions, but only watching one more of his friends die.

It hurt more everyday. Culture collapsed a little more each day. The farmers just counted one less each day. Each day, he had to kneel at the side of a woman dying whilst trying to keep him alive. It became so lonely. The people worked together to help each other out, but it was lonely.

It was so rare for someone to live long enough to be able to pass down the story of the collapse to the next generation.

Sometimes he had to do it.

Love was a thing of the past. There was no time for emotion. You couldn’t mourn the dead; you couldn’t even bury them. And when aid workers came in, they were so underprepared for the toxic air and dust-filled skies that they usually died the soonest. Though the winters were the worst part. On top of the darkness that surrounded everyone through the debris in the sky, there were days when everything was simply black. There was nothing to do. For so long, it’d seemed as if things would never change. But then an idea - a list by a young scientist - was recovered after they died. Upon seeing this chance of revival, Eirikur had made a resolution: to end the suffering of his people. He'd save his home. Be a ‘hero’ as Tania had said.

He could do it. 

Which was why he and Tania decided to spend one last night in Finland - just before they went in search of the machine parts elsewhere. To get some rest. They lay beneath a bridge in the old city, watching the stars above them move across the sky, through the missing planks. The river that used to run there had obviously dried up, leaving a safe place for them to lie.

Calm. Quiet. Eirikur felt for the first time in years that maybe things were still beautiful, still hopeful. For the first time in a century, he felt that maybe it would be okay.

 

And then light began to dance across the sky, in waves of enchanting colour. They painted the heavens above in hues of joy and beauty. Blues and greens and purples reflected in Eirikur’s eyes. It struck him how they danced, almost like people twirling around the stars. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was where souls went after they left their bodies... dancing in the sky seemed like the perfect afterlife.

 

Feeling a sense of pride in these lights that he saw so often, yet never really looked at; he turned his head to see Tania’s reaction - only to find her sound asleep, colourful glows dancing across her face and decorating it in a way that only these lights could. She really was quite nice-looking in this light. He wondered whether to wake her and show her the sky but decided eventually against it; they would need their rest. Tomorrow was going to be the first of an eternity of very long days. Tomorrow, they were going to chase after life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo Eurovision was yesterday (´ ▽｀).。ｏ♡ !!!! My favourite was definitely Belgium's entry! Such a good sound I can't believe!
> 
> I tried to liveblog but had to give up, because I ended up not being able to pay attention to the TV and Tumblr (oops). Are you excited for the second semi final?? My countdown on the Eurovision app says there's "01 days, 03 hours, 39 minutes and 1 second" !!!
> 
> In all honesty, it's the only song contest I've ever enjoyed!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review if you did (or didn't) telling me what you think about it!


	4. The Survivor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow, they were going to chase after life.

“This is the way, right?”

“Yes... I think so.”

 

Route-tracing was marginally easier when he squinted - it was the best he could do to not get lost.

They'd managed to get their hands on a second-hand map, but so far, it wasn't much use. Soaked, creased and slightly smudged: still, Eirikur persevered. He had to try.

 

“Are you sure you’re not holding it the wrong way?” Tania’s question was polite enough, but for some reason, it struck a nerve. Maybe since she sounded just like Alisk when he'd chastised Eirikur for the silliest things.

“Look, it’s not _my_ fault that the only place we had a chance to steal something was an empty old walking shop!" The words came out before he could stop them. And they just kept coming. "Just be grateful we have some sense of direction!”

“Hey,” Tania's voice was soft, perhaps shocked by the outburst, yet unafraid, “do you want to get some rest now? We’ve been walking for quite a while.”

“It’s too cold for sleep; we’d die.” Eirikur stubbornly shook his head.

“You’re a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Her laugh would have made him smile, were he more awake.

But in this state, he didn't want to deal with anything. So he just sighed. “Please, check the compass again.”

Silence fell. He stared across the barren wasteland: snow drifted around them, dusting their supplies in white, powdery cold. The two had laid in the snow, since they'd been so exhausted that they couldn’t carry everything for much longer. There were few trees and little to no vegetation; no chance of finding food once their supplies ran out. The sky was white and featureless; there was nothing there, and, more importantly, an absence of stars to guide them once night fell. In the distance, he heard howls of feral creatures coming out to play for the night. He could only hope that they wouldn’t meet with those creatures.

A hoot. A bark. He wouldn’t be surprised if monsters lurked among them in the snowy void, ready to create the next sound that he would hear. Anything could hide in the landscape surrounding them. That was a big worry. The last thing they needed while they were cold and hurting was to be chased to who-knows-where by who-knows-what.

“At the moment, we’re facing north.” Tania announced, taking the map from his hands and aligning it with her compass measurement.

Her voice was a welcome distraction from Eirikur's own mind. He peered over at the map in her hands. “We need to be going more east.”

“Well then,” Tania turned, picked up her supplies and started walking, “this way.”

Eirikur grabbed his two bags; one filled with food and the other with medicine; and stumbled after her through the foot-deep winter snow. It wasn’t as if he was unaccustomed to the cold climate: he lived in it. But for some reason, the cold here was of a completely different type. It ate into him rather than soothed him. Back home, it was numbing and refreshing, able to ease the pain of even the worst wounds. Here, it chilled him to the bone and tore through his defenses. Here, it felt like demons were ripping him apart with ice-cold knives. Like the wilderness was punishing him for simply being there.

It had been easy enough: there was a train waiting in the station, for them to hijack. An empty train, just... _sitting_ there. He supposed that he should’ve been suspicious when they realized it wasn’t in use.

The reason why made itself known, when it broke down halfway through their journey.

From there, they had to walk to the nearest village. Luckily, setting up camp was an easier part.

They’d been able to steal enough resources to make a plan: where the next village was and how long it would take to get there. The original plan had been easy to execute. First, they decided to search the village (abandoned as well) for vehicles and supplies from old shops. There were only minor drawbacks, like the lack of vehicles and shops that still had stock - and the difficulties of trekking through the snow as it deepened with time. Then, once they’d started out from the first village, Tania had almost gotten frostbite.

So it was a relief once they arrived safely in the fourth village. Unfortunately, they’d lost the fifth. It was nowhere in sight, and they’d had to admit that perhaps they’d miscalculated how much time was needed to get there. In short, they were lost.

“This place is too big...” Eirikur complained.

“It wouldn’t be Siberia if it wasn’t big, cold, and hostile.” Tania laughed tiredly.

“Why are you being so optimistic about this?” Eirikur frowned at her, well aware that he was probably being unreasonably rude, but he couldn’t stop.

“I’m being optimistic because if I wasn’t, we’d have no choice but to admit defeat and die.” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Give me the map again.” Eirikur huffed, quickly changing the subject.

“Where exactly are we going?”

“To China.”

“Why China?” Tania looked up at him, curious.

“It’s another country that may have the components that we need.”

“Which components?”

“Tania, do you really need to ask so many questions?”

“Just want to know what I’m getting myself into.”

“Sorry. And it’s the engine that I was looking for. In Finland.”

“Ah. Right. Of course.”

Eirikur sighed. It was hard to even think clearly, let alone try to decide on a pathway to a village that probably didn’t even exist anymore.

 

Wait.

A village that didn’t exist anymore?

Of course, that’s what it was! He was an idiot!

 

“We’ve gone past the village.”

“What?”

“Tania, listen, there was no village.”

“That makes no sense, it was on the map-”

“It doesn’t exist. That map is what, fifty years old? It doesn’t exist. The village is gone.”

“Are you sure?” Tania frowned at him. “Because all the other villages were just left behind as ruins-”

“I’m sure.”

“If you say so, Ei.”

“What?”

“Ei. I can’t be bothered to say Eirikur. I’m calling you Ei.”

“Okay, but we need to focus on where to go now.”

“You were the one who asked.” Tania shrugged.

Eirikur took the map from her and closely inspected it: a road map. No physical feature, leaving him with no impression of the kinds of landmarks that he needed to be look for. Then a wiggly red line grabbed his attention. A long road through the open countryside. Slowly, he traced his finger along it; a lifeline. It was a sure way to find a route through Siberia and into China.

“Tania, give me the compass.”

“Sure.” She pressed the cold metal device into his open palm. Taking it gratefully, he lined it up with the directions on the map.

“We need to be heading a bit more south.” he muttered to himself, turning to face the right position. “This way… Probably…”

“Hey, you need to-”

“Tania, wait - I think I found the way.”

“Ei, you really need to see this.” She sounded mildly worried, but he thought nothing of it.

“I’ll look in a minute, I just need to go this way a bit…” One step in the road's possible direction.

“Eirikur, listen to me!”

“What?!” He spun round-- oh no. Oh no.

“We need to run. Now.”

They ran towards Eirikur and Tania at speeds Eirikur thought even space shuttles weren’t capable of.

Animals that looked like death personified. Wolves - and no ordinary wolves, either. Metal spikes for hair; drills for teeth. Leaving tracks not only in the snow, but also in the hard ground... they weighed enough to crush Eirikur under a single paw, so he thought. And in their eyes? A glowing, bright-red number. Simple as that.

But it left him frozen in sheer panic. Maybe due to which number it happened to be. That same number announced by the robot nearly a week ago:

**5.**

He had no clue what significance it had, or how it related to him, but seeing it in those things' eyes convinced him that if he didn't move soon, it would be the end.

He tapped her on the arm urgently. "Tania, we need to go."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"Yeah, yeah, but let's just go--" She grabbed his wrist and yelled over the crescendo of growling wolves: "which way to the road?"

"Southeast!"

He wasn't sure what was happening after that. He knew that they ran, and he knew that they'd found the road. But after that? His mind went blank and he couldn't remember a thing. It was chaos while they ran, and chaos when the wolves caught up.

Oh.

The wolves had caught up. He remembered now. That was probably why they were surrounded by them now.

"Tania!"

"I know, I know," she dodged a pounce aimed at her head, "just don't let them get on top of you. Or bite you. Or brush against you. Then you'll be fine."

Eirikur stared at her, almost forgetting to jump when a wolf slid towards his feet to knock him over.

"On second thoughts," Tania laughed hysterically, "don't let them near you at all..."

Another widened its jaws and darted at Eirikur's side. He dodged - just about. This situation was now beginning to sink in: for the second time that day, he'd been a millimetre away from getting his innards ripped out in the most brutal of ways. This was the kind of thing that happened in books. Since when had his life turned to this?

"What do we do?!" he screamed, almost able to feel himself pale. So many situations he'd had to endure, and this one filled him with the most dread he'd ever felt. An awful feeling.

"Grow up, little baby. What we do..." Tania cracked her knuckles. The look in her eyes was entirely new to him, and that was when he knew something was going to happen. "is _fight_."

And before he could stop her, she lunged towards the animals.

One attack merging into the next.

Some sort of martial art.

"How did you even learn to do that?" His mouth was agape in wonder and awe.

"I may be young," she ducked another attack, "but my childhood was pretty damn rough."

"That didn't answer my question!" He yelled, steeling his nerves and engaging every bit of fighting knowledge he'd picked up since birth to punch a wolf in the face.

"I was raised with Li Xiao, idiot!"

"But that doesn't-" He was cut off by another wolf attempting to knock him over. At last, his 'protector' façade shattered. "Right... that's it."

Good thing he had a survivor's instinct. As a child, Alisk had told him that humans were divided by instinct into protectors and survivors: protectors would give their own lives to keep loved ones from harm. They were the Romans and the Greeks. Then there were survivors, who would do anything to stay alive - even kill the ones they loved the most.  Back then, they were most likely to be Celts.

There were, of course, races that were mixed between basic instincts. Vikings, for instance. And Eirikur had been raised by Vikings. They'd tried to raise him as a protector but, of course, it didn't work... nothing worked on him. It was interference from a small Celtic tribe that had swayed him. He was a survivor, and not in a good way.

He knew he'd lost control the moment that he reached the base of the tree. Mainly since he'd reached it running head-on through a pack of murderous beasts, without a thought towards the multiple cuts on his skin. His conscience was fading rapidly. Nothing was stopping him. In mere seconds, he scaled the tree, anger propelling him up, up, up. Desperation directing his hands to the branch above his head. Primal rage providing him with the strength to rip it from the tree. Fear of death egging him on to jump. He followed its instructions.

Landing on the wolves killed a few instantly, purely with the weight of the branch. He wasn't thinking anymore. He wasn't feeling a-ny-m-ore-e--

red. Red tinged his vision. Not a problem.

He could taste iron. Perhaps it was blood; blood didn't phase him.

He thought only of the wolves before him, nothing else on Earth existed in his mind. He struck them down without fear. He killed them easily and swiftly with no remorse. Blood drenched him in the place of sweat - It was probably his own. It made his hands slimy and gave him difficulty holding the branch: so he fought faster. Beast after beat, crushing skull after skull, until the branch was torn from his crimson hands and thrown onto the icy road. Down to a neat little kick from his side.

"Eirikur!"

 

Tania.

He blinked, eyes opening properly to the surrounding carnage, and bowed his head.

"Eirikur, what did you do?"

In false horror, he stared around him, ready to flawlessly fake remorse the way that he'd been taught.

"Well, I guess this is why Iceland doesn't need an army." His vision cleared enough to see Tania give him a cunning smile. "Who needs the military when they have you?"

Unsure how to react, he collapsed into a kneeling position, meeting with cold and bloody ground.

"How did you even learn to do that?" she mimicked his tone from earlier. Did this not affect her like it was affecting him?

"My name is Eirikur Steilsson and I was raised by Vikings." he lowered his eyes. "I was also taught fighting from barbarians."

"Hey," A soft hand was felt on his shoulder, and it registered that Tania was kneeling before him, "you saved both of our lives. Who cares if some wolves died in the process?"

"Tania, I-" he coughed; blood from an earlier wound escaped through his mouth. The feeling made him wince, but Eirikur continued his point. "I enjoyed it."

"Well, I guess we're both monsters." She rose to her feet, holding a hand out to him.

"What--"

"This road leads to the border, correct?"

"Yes, but--"

"Let's head off quickly and forget that this ever happened, deal?"

"Tania I can't--"

"There'll be more wolves. Eirikur, this is our only chance."

Reluctantly, he took her hand: "Deal."


	5. Wake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reluctantly, he took her hand: "Deal."

"You can't trust them!" Mathias yelled, shaking Eirikur by the shoulders.

His vision went blurry, but this information took priority. Worry gathered in the pit of his stomach. "I can't trust who?"

"You can't trust--"

* * *

Eirikur jolted awake - okay, so that must have been a nightmare. At least that would explain the sweat drenching his entire body. Still half-asleep, a tightening grip around his hand tore a gasp from his throat.

Oh, that was Tania... she let go, rolling over in her sleep with a soft sigh. Ever-so-slowly, he managed to bring his breath down to a steady pace, and rubbed his eyes when he was ready. Now to figure out where he was--

Hulun Buir Prairie.

A village a little way from the China/Russia border.

Content with this answer, Eirikur leant back against the wall behind him. He shut his eyes, trying to listen for a sign his hosts were still up: he didn't think it was that late. Yet the air around him was silent. Peaceful atmosphere surrounded him, and the night moved on at its own slow pace. Tingling at his cheeks was a cool breeze from the open window above; not unpleasant. Soothing towards his feverishly-hot skin.

 _Bang_. Eirikur bolted upright.

Was it the Russians? Coming for him again? Was it the wolves-- did they have human support this time?

_Bang._

_Bang._

A now-frowning Tania turned again.

And then, a... a cheer?

Eirikur's lips parted: he came to the full realization that, without contact with the outside world, he'd ceased to keep time or date. Suddenly, he felt the gnawing desire to discover what point in time he was part of. Frantic eyes scanned the room for a calendar or a clock; any sort of time keeping device.

There. Next to him.

On the table, beside his current bed, lay a small digital clock: probably extremely outdated, but useful nevertheless. He read the numbers on it, desperation eating away at him.

'00:06. 1/1/2131'

The new year. Of course.

The celebrations came from Russia's side of the border, he decided upon a closer listen. Obviously. He'd heard that Chinese new year was a different month entirely. He began to wonder if they even bothered with the European version. It was so curious: how countries could be so similar in ideals, yet so different in culture. Though he was pretty sure that even if his country and China were exactly the same, he'd still be stuck with this sleeping arrangement.

***

The village had been quiet when they arrived; almost too quiet for what the sign had said was a 'bustling tourist destination'. The first person they'd encountered had been an old man choking on a cigar. Something he'd expected to see when he was last in a normal village, not now; an entire _century_ later. Next, a young woman had approached them, yelling something in Mandarin to a nearby figure. Then the entire village had surrounded them - or, at least, what had seemed like the entire village. They talked to them, asking them questions that they couldn't hope to understand, prodding them for information they couldn't communicate. Then, finally, someone who spoke English, asked them a question.

"Are you Russian?"

Of all the questions to ask, they chose that one. Eirikur opened his mouth, but--

"No," had been the answer uttered from Tania's lips, accompanied by a gentle shake of her head, "we're refugees escaping Russia."

"Come, everyone, they are welcome here. Let me give you two a room!"

After that, the people of the village seemed to ooze hospitality, doing their best to make them comfortable... under the impression, Eirikur soon discovered, that he and Tania were a young married couple.

***

That was the reason they shared a bed: they feared a change of heart in the citizens, if Eirikur ever corrected them.

"Hey, you're awake." Tania sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Why?"

"No reason. I just don't sleep well." Eirikur lay back down and turned over, avoiding her gaze. If he allowed it to, he sensed that this conversation could turn very dangerous.

"Why don't you sleep well?" Back at it again with the questions.

"Perhaps because you're still asking me things?"

That made Tania laugh, as she playfully poked him in the back. It seemed she really wouldn't drop this. "C'mon, you can tell me!"

"That's the thing though. I can't."

"Why not?"

He buried his face in the pillow, knowing full well that he sounded like an annoyed little kid. "Because it's a secret."

"Okay - at least tell me what happened?"

Eirikur froze. "What do you mean?"

"How did you die?"

His blood ran cold. There it was: the question he'd been dreading.

"Tania," his fists clenched and he grit his teeth. Enough. _Enough_. "I - can't - do - that."

"How about I tell you what happened to me, then you say what happened to you?"

"Tania, I honestly can't!" He leapt out of the bed, unconditional anger flooding his body, burning the cold from his veins.

"Hey..." Tania leant across to take his fist in her own hands. Her own concerned eyes locked with his. "It'll help."

"Tania." Her curiosity continued to frustrate him. "No."

"Alright, but hear me out." He wondered what she could possibly say to change his mind. "It had something to do with your volcano, right? Laki?"

And in that moment, he hated her.

***

He'd lived throughout volcanic eruptions before, and with minimal complications... but there were two that really fucked him up. Both from the same volcano.

One occurring in the deep past of the previous millennia.

The other, not so far back.

They'd referred to it as Laki 2025. And it was big enough to cause the collapse of his entire nation in ash and flames.

***

That day. When he returned home, there was nothing there. Hot acid burned his cheeks, and set fire to his skin. Nothing was visible, nothing, except black clouds billowing over the water on the bay. His home had vanished. Vanished. In a puff of smoke, or rather, ash.

After the initial shock of returning, to find nothing to return to, he began to hack up his lungs. His body's attempt to clear the ash that had slipped down his windpipe. In the process, spattering the floor of the boat with fresh, warm blood. Crying and screaming in this distance proved, of course, that there must be something hidden by the ash. But, visually, it wasn't there.

As fear and dread weighed down his chest, the only comfort was one that he often drew out in times like these: if this had occurred in any other country, the whole populace would be dead already.

He fell off the boat, breaking his nose on the stone of the harbour pavement, causing more blood to stain the ground. It probably looked as bad as it felt, but that wasn't his main concern. There was no choice but to pick himself up, and stumble through the unpleasantly-warm cloud, hands before him, feeling for obstacles. These obstacles came in the form of people. People running around. People searching for loved ones in the clouds and the rubble.

A struggle, as his foot got caught in a cold - and very dead - hand. The hand of one of the first victims of what seemed to have been a major eruption.

Later, he would find that they'd died of suffocation, the ash in their lungs killing them.

At the time, Eirikur fought hard to control his gag reflex. He'd never given much thought to how the dead felt, but hated these cold and grimy hands belonging to the former person.

"What happened?" he yelled to whoever would listen, as he scrambled to get up.

The piercing shriek of an infant was ever-so-slightly louder than the rest. Then he realised that was because it was near him. For a moment, its mother stopped, extending her free hand.

"Laki."

***

Present-day Eirikur was hollering at the top of his lungs. Violently shaking Tania, whose shoulders he was gripping for dear life. "You know what happened! You _know_ what happened! Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"I--" she brought her hands to her mouth in wide-eyed shock. The man before him was unfamiliar to her completely, and she regretted the word. She regretted everything. And momentarily, she feared for her life. "I didn't know!"

"Why would you think that that would be okay..." he stepped back, distressed. Trying to regain a proper breathing rhythm. Trying. "Why would you do that to any person?"

"I'm sorry!"

"That doesn't make it better. That will never make it better." he growled. "How can you purposely do that to someone? Make them remember one of the most traumatic periods of their lives?"

"I-I'm so sorry..."

"Who cares?!" He cared little for her apologies. Sorry didn't help. Even if her intentions were good, what did it fix?

"How can I make it better?" She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. As expected, it provided no comfort.

"You can't." He snarled, before pulling away again to run out the door.

 

Moments later, he was outside.

He lowered himself unto freezing ground. With a heavy sigh, he stared up at the stars, and shut his eyes.

It wasn't _fair._  One deep breath in. One deep breath out. It wasn't fair that that his only company was someone willing to hurt him with all they had... yeah, maybe he was being too delicate, maybe he was being a baby, but who gave a shit? It wasn't Tania's place to decide how he relived the worst day of his life. And yes, the collapse was the worst day of his life. Though there were many contenders for the spot.

The first devastating Laki eruption would count as one, with a third of his population left dead and years of famine to follow; it was pretty shitty. Then, there was losing his brother: somehow the pain was more of a weak disappointment? A shame? Yes, it was a shame that Alisk had to disappear right after Eirikur was finally able to get to know him. Though he supposed, at this point in time, other losses could mean more than his sibling's.

 

The third contender was less obvious.

A long time ago, when he was young: a pleasantly warm summer's day. No worries, no fears. Just the five of them... happy. For once. Why did it make a 'worst day of his life' spot? Because whenever he thought too much about it, he felt a crippling sadness in his chest, a realization that there would never be a day like that after all that had happened--

"Eirikur?" Tania sat down next to him. "Are you okay?"

He waited a moment in careful thought, before replying: "No."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." But intense fear and loneliness made him ache with the lie. Of course something was wrong, and, yes, he was angry with Tania, but who else was there to talk to?

It ate away at him. The crippling fear that maybe after death, there would be nothing, and that he would just cease to exist. The even worse fear that the last words he'd spoken to those he loved were either rude or nonexistent. Once he died, they would remember him as someone they were already over losing, because he'd already given them a century to get used to it. Living without him. No one would care anymore. And his home? It would probably be recolonised by England, or Scotland, or some other nearby country. He would be replaced and given a new name. And that thought was scary.

"Eirikur, you can tell me. I'm also dying. I understand." Tania furrowed her brow, staring into his eyes.

"I don't want to tell anyone-" he caught himself, hesitating. "I'm homesick, that's--" His voice cracked, causing him to flush red in embarrassment. "-all."

"Do you need a hug? I know it's not going to solve anything, but it's nice to have the warmth of another person." Tania shivered. "Especially in this weather, you know?"

 

Eirikur didn't say anything; he couldn't. So he just leant forth, elbows resting on his knees and hands covering his mouth, trying to hold back sobs of pure distress that wracked his body. He could almost hear Tania's surprise when she stared at him.

"Ei..." she gasped.

He felt an arm around his shoulders as she pulled him close. She was right, it was nice to have human warmth, and she did really seem sorry for earlier. It couldn't hurt to tell her why she should never mention... that thing... ever again. It would protect him, after all.

"I felt so useless." he drew a sharp breath. "I _still_ feel useless. Most volcanic eruptions are fine, they have little long-term effect on anyone other than the animals, but sometimes, unexplained things go wrong. Sometimes, it's much worse. Do you know how many people died the first time Laki had one of its deadly eruptions?"

"No, I don't."

"One thousand or more. That was a third. A third of my people."

Tania squeezed him tighter in response.

"The second time, it was two thirds. Two thirds at the second time it erupted, that was over two hundred thousand innocent people. All dead. And the similarities between those two eruptions? Both times, there was nothing I could do. And I hate that feeling. Feeling that I'm helpless; I can't do anything... I'm useless."

He pulled away to stand up, wanting to return to sleep and right the wrongs of the night.

"And that," he held out a hand to her, "is why you must never mention Laki." 

 


	6. Contrast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And that," he held out a hand to her, "is why you must never mention Laki."

Boots imprinting the shapes of human evidence, they trudged through the snow. Not much registered to them but stars. Night. Cold.

"Guess it was really important to get away, huh?" Tania sighed. "I can't say that I disagree with this plan of action, though."

"We were only going to be able to keep it up for so long. In the end," Eirikur adjusted the pack on his back, "this is easier."

"I'm still gonna miss having a warm bed."

"Want to rent a hotel room in Beijing when we get there?" He couldn't help but be sarcastic in his response. "I mean, it's not like we're refugees with no money or family, is it?"

"Oh! That reminds me, my brother lives somewhere around here!"

"Brother?"

Her head was cocked to one side, reminding him of a puppy. "Leon? I'm not sure if you've met him?"

"Oh, don't worry - I've met him."

Of all of the people she had to be related to, him? He supposed that he should've guessed it from the way she smiled, like the corners of her mouth were always uneven in height; it made him uneasy, but she couldn't help it.

The time he had spent around Leon - over a century ago - had been filled with those crooked smiles: he was the kind of person who had no sense of social differences across the continents, and didn't care to learn. Constantly doing whatever he pleased... it was somewhat endearing. Mainly tiring, though, always having to cover for him when he acted 'rude' towards the locals. He hadn't bothered to think of him in the time he had spent hiding.

"Eiri, how much further?"

His focus returned to the torn map in his hands.

_Stupid. Useless. Old. Otiose._

Beijing was 400 metres to the left of where it should've been, according to the road signs.

In a fit of frustration, he scrunched it up into as small a ball as he could. Then threw it as far as his weak arms would allow, chest rising and falling heavily.

"Eiri?"

"It's completely useless!" Head in his hands, he collapsed gently into the snow. "Completely useless..."

"Eiri?"

Hot tears flooded the corners of his eyes, for what seemed to be the millionth time. The inaccuracies of the map would only slow him down, prevent him from protecting his people, making up for lies lost in the stormy oceans by aid workers. Tania rested a hand gently on his shoulder, but there was something strange about her touch. Something unfamiliar.

It was probably just the stress, putting feelings that weren't there into his head.

He felt like a fool, running around, chasing after a sci-fi adventure, when doing so risked the lives of his people.

They were counting on him.

They were counting on him to save them, and all he was doing was stalling with a wild goose chase after machine parts located on the opposite side of the planet. All because he had too much pride to turn to his family for help. He was such an idiot.

"Tania, I think--" he looked up at her, catching a glimpse of her fingers flying across the glossy surface of a brand-new tablet computer. "What are you doing?"

She froze, locking eyes with him.

"Tania?"

"We can use a digital map on here, you know? We can use this to find our way to Beijing, and then once we get there, we can use it to locate a good store that cells what you need, and then we can steal from there, and--"

"Tania, I'm changing the plan." His chest swelled up, knowing what he was about to say would launch him straight back to safety, and with a sense of melancholy, knowing that it would bring him rest at last.

***

"It's... lovely. What exactly is it?"

"A robot."

"I can see that. I meant specifically what is it?"

"Just your regular service bot."

That caused Alisk to raise his eyebrows. The Mathias he knew wouldn't simply reinvent a boring, common piece of commercial equipment. "Evidently. Are you going to turn it on?"

"I'm getting there!" Mathias waved his hands, as if dismissing imaginary concern from the air around them. "I've added several new features."

"Yes, you've changed it so that the core is made of silicone, rather than carbon fibre... which counts as 'several new features', I suppose, considering that you will have a reason for doing it. Won't you?" Alisk paced across the metal floor, focussing his eyes on the mechanical wonder in the centre of the darkened room. "I assume it'll be yet another major innovation in Danish robotics."

"Danish? Alisk, we don't use those names anymore."

"'Two' is not a reasonable thing to call a country."

"You fucking suggested it!"

"Also 'second robotics' sounds misleading." This comment, Alisk chose to ignore.

"Anyway, I'm turning it on, so get back over here."

He drew to a halt next to Mathias: Alisk's shoulder pressed heavily into his friend's arm, focussed on the now-glowing android.

"Watch, okay?"

"What else am I doing right now?" He sighed. Mathias was as excited as he always was when unveiling a new invention.

He was pleased that Mathias had found himself something useful to do, rather than mope and blame himself for everything that went wrong in the Pangea program. Heck, Mathias was only partially responsible for the alliance, yet he acted as if the weight of the literal world was on his shoulders alone.

See-through silicone limbs lit up in a soothing white as the robot powered up. For some reason, the computer's quotidian humming sparked something subtle within this thing. Its eyes opened, shining two pure LED headlamps at the high ceiling, illuminating the hanging robot-building robots that dangled precariously above them.

The holo projector in its chest presented the air in the foot immediately above the robot with six icons. The first were blue - the three basic service icons: Medical, Economic and Free Program.

Next were some from the previous model: the two personal functions. Caregiver and Maid. Those two were an especially pleasing shade of mint.

And this final icon, an uncharacteristic (and certainly unfamiliar) magenta in colour, with a small stork graphic glowing in the centre.

"Midwife?" Alisk stepped closer, squinting at it. "Isn't that too similar to 'Caregiver' and 'Medical'?"

"That's not exactly what it is." Mathias smirked at him. Alisk could feel his heart sink.

"Are you telling me that robots can carry children now?" He should count how many times he sighed during a single conversation with Mathias. Make a tally chart, find the average; lead a full-blown scientific investigation.

"Man, you're just too smart for me!"

Another dramatic sigh from Alisk. How could he phrase this so it sank in? "Mathias, you have made. A robot. That can have. Babies. Why?"

"So that couples where one person is infertile can reproduce? So that homosexual couples can have children without surrogacy complications? Maybe just letting people have children without having to carry the child themself?"

"This is about your 'mission', isn't it..." Alisk saw Mathias staring at the ground, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "You're still dead set on it, aren't you?"

"Please, Alisk, I'm at least taking precautions to preserve Two."

"Mathias." He clenched his teeth. "He isn't worth it if he's dead, besides, I'm not letting you get it on with a robot: that's the very definition of stupid."

"It's just in case something goes wrong! I need an heir regardless of if I go or not, so-"

"Are you planning on dying?!"

"Well-- no-- I-"

"Mathias, I'm not letting you fuck a robot for 'just in case'!"

"I love you?"

Alisk slumped his shoulders; another 'new' development that he really didn't have the energy to deal with at present. He inhaled slowly, counting five seconds to make sure he was breathing perfectly.

_One._

It was a stupid idea, of course, because as far as he could see, the robot had not working reproductive system other than a womb - meaning that both halves of the hypothetical genetics would have to be provided by real people.

_Two._

And if Mathias did love him, and this robot thing was simply an effort to be faithful, it'd still strangle him with the knowledge that one of the people he was closest to would end up leaving.

_Three._

Eirikur was pretty much dead.

_Four._

What good did Mathias think he was doing by running off on a suicide mission after him? It wasn't going to do anything, other than ease the same guilty conscience that the four of them had shared for so long.

_Five._

It was selfish, really, expecting everyone who had been dealing so well with their own guilt to be okay with him letting it break him and running after a ghost. It made him a weak man, trying to deal with guilt in such a way that would just deposit more of that terrible baggage on his closest friend's shoulders.

Besides. Besides- Besides,

Eirikur-

Besides, Eirikur-

Besides,

Eirikur was dying.

Dead-

No, he was dead.

That much was enough to keep him in one place.

Stop him from making rash decisions.

"Alisk, you're forgetting to exhale."

He coughed out the stale air from his lungs, hands catching the choking on his own saliva. Hands serving to warn him of the damp in the corners of his eyes; he never could tell when he was crying.

***

"Tania, I'm changing the plan: we're going to Norway."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this story is about 3/4 done now!! Exciting right! Also, aren't you glad I'm finally updating? Once I get time, I'm going to go back over my first few chapters and raise them up to standard, so check back every once in a while to see if they've changed (plot points might change too.)


	7. Heroine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tania, I'm changing the plan: we're going to Norway."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here: the climax!!
> 
> After almost a year of writing and editing and rewriting I've finally reached the last act.
> 
> Please buckle up properly because the feels trip I'm about to take you on is gonna get pretty wild.

"What do you mean?"

  
"Norway- I-uh," Eirikur winced, "I think my plan was a bit stupid..."

"But it was fun." She giggled, but there was something unstable in the noise. "If you want to go back we can, though. But I always wondered why people did things that weren't fun."

  
"Is that a direct insult?"

  
"Of course not!" No, Tania sounded normal: it must've been him hearing things.

  
Eirikur picked himself up.

  
It was as if someone had forgotten to relay that message to his legs- he couldn't move. He couldn't stand. He couldn't even feel his feet: only static.

  
"Are you okay, Ei?"

  
He swallowed his panic and tried to stand again, pushing himself up on a nearby rock. The jagged stone cut into his hands, but no pain registered in his mind. Nothng registered. He fell, again, smashing his face into the rock, feeling ash fill up his lungs.

  
"Eirikur!"  
Doubled over, threw up, not bile or food, but blood. Thick, dark blood filled his mouth- spilt over his lips. It was dry and full of clots, making him choke. Tania was next to him in an instant, staring into his eyes with her own- filled with fear.

Eye contact: he was almost unable to give her that; there was no concievable way to stay awake anymore.

  
"D-don't-" She buried her head into his chest; he could feel the warm and damp fabric of his shirt press against his skin. "You're not dying, right?"

  
His own mouth wouldn't obey him- he couldn't form a reply, even if he wanted to. The best he could do was to hold back his own tears.

  
"Please d-don't go." Tania broke down completely, hysterical sobbing filling the landscape around them.

  
She sounded like she was the one in agony, crying out for help. He supposed neither of them quite knew what happened when one of them died. It made sense for her to worry: Neither of them knew how it would work. Do nations die in agony? Do they simply fade into nothing?

Eirikur supposed he'd had a long life- that statue would commemorate it until the end of Pangea.

It would be okay for him to slip away, silently into nothing. That idea seemed so attractive: a peaceful death after thousands of years of struggling.

  
Tania was screaming, like the death roar of the lion cub as it watches its mother be taken down by human poachers. Something (pity?) stirred within his chest at her pain.

Something unknown pulled him back to where he was in space and time; reminded him of the heart still beating in his chest.

  
The heart that just kept on going, despite everything.

  
"You sound like a banshee." His voice was hoarse and barely audible, but he was grateful at least that his was working. He was greatful that he could pull of a smirk, too.

  
"You're alive," Tania breathed, "oh thank god." And she wrapped her arms arms around him, squeezing the air from his lungs.

  
He felt her warmth- he felt it wavering; coming and going like it couldn't decide if he or she were the dead one.

  
When she let him go, he simply sat in silence, watching as the rising sun illuminted freckles on her skin that he had never noticed before. Her still damp eyelashes glistened in the morning light, like crystals.

Tania was honestly pretty.

The curve of her nose, the bow of her lips and the softness of her jaw- they all lead him to question why she was never considered to be one of the more beautiful countries.

  
"I'm sorry." She muttered under her breath and leant forward, pressing her gentle lips against his.

  
He didn't move an inch, wondering if any wrong move would shatter the illusion.

  
He didn't focus so much on her lips, as on her hand placed, somewhat awkwardly, on the back of his neck; it was so warm against his skin, like solid sunlight. Once so smooth, he could feel the callouses of her fingertips and the dryness of her palm. The product of their shared adventure, like in a movie.

  
And she was the true heroine of the story.

  
She pulled back, tears slipping down her face, and stood up, taking a deep breath.

  
Something wasn't right: his vision was swimming.

  
His vision was moving back and forth, colours blurring into one big mess. He couldn't see the fading landscape around him anymore.

  
"Thank you."

  
His eyes, miraculously, managed to find focus on the injection pen that should've been in his jacket pocket. His skin focussed on the cold trickle of blood slipping down the back of his neck, surely staining his clothes. His eyes wide snapped open, fighting to keep him awake.

  
The cold snow.

  
The dull pain in his neck.

  
Come on, come on.

  
The sunlight burning him.

  
Tania, walking away- no explanations.

  
No, no.

  
No... No...

 

_"Don't trust them!"_

 

***

  
There was a boy lying on the ground. He looked quite dead, so Saf didn't do anything about it a first, just stare.

  
How did a boy like that get there?

  
He was strange looking, like a book character. He had shining, platinum hair and skin like fancy china.

"Hello, boy." She nudged him with her foot, taking the wooden spoon she was chewing on out of her mouth and slipping it into her back pocket. "You dead?"

  
It didn't seem to cross her mind that asking someone if they were dead or not wasn't very effective.

He wasn't moving much, so she bent down and placed two fingers against his neck. Then pressed two against her own.

  
Yep, his heart was definitely beating. But it was so slow, like his blood was replaced with treacle.

  
And, not to mention, his skin was as cold as marble.

  
"Shall I get you somewhere, boy?"

  
He didn't answer, of course. she had expected that, so she heaved him up over her shoulders anyway: he was just as light as he looked.

  
"Let's get you to a hospital, huh, boy."

***

Eirikur woke up to find himself, wrapped in the strong arms of a young woman, who smelt very much of smoke. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact, it was almost comforting. It reminded him of the smell of campfires and cooking meat. It reminded him of the warmth of his family.

He had plenty of experience with being homesick, though he hated to admit it.

Every time he had turned his back on his brother had torn him up inside. Revoking those few memories of his childhood that he had left was unimaginably painful. Always, he refused the help of his brother. Always, he shunned the people who cared about him the most in favour of eternal solitude.

Dying forever alone. Wouldn't that be a fitting punishment for his sins? There were no better ways to repent.

"You can't trust your thoughts."

Eirikur's eyes snapped open. In the moment of betrayal, he had been convinced that Mathias had been reffering to Tania- but-

Mathias didn't know about Tania. Besides, it had been his own subconscious generating that message; he hadn't known about Tania at the time.

He broke free of the stong grip of the woman and found the passion burning in his chest to be enough to propel him forth.

The doors.

His weakened legs hit the ground in time to the frantic beating of his heart, sending jolts of pain up his spine. However painful it became to fight his own impending doom, he would keep running. In that moment, there were no other paths for time to take.

One.

Each breath he took sent stabbing pains through his lungs, but he still fought to take in as much oxygen as he could.

The city was a blur of vibrant colours. It was so different to the city in Finland, but the central transport system was the same: a glowing pearl in a pile of flower petals.

People were staring at him. They were pressing buttons on wristbands and tablet screens, presumably reporting his appearance to authorities.

He didn't care.

He almost tripped as he threw himself into the capsule. His memories swam through his head, pounding torturously against his skull. It was like every single experience he'd had was trying to escape the confines of his head. His arm was also 'fizzing' uncomfortably, making him want to scratch at it to tear out the source of discomfort.

He had to collect his thoughts somehow. Then maybe his nerves would stop screaming at him.

Best case scenario: he got help in time and had the rest of a (hopefully) long life to make it up to them.

  
Worst case scenario: he died before he could get there, and they would never know what he so wanted to tell them.

All he could do was try his hardest to avoid the worst case. It was calming to know that the outcome he dreaded could be easily avoided if he just went through a simple door.

The contraption stopped smoothly and he tumbled out onto the floor in front of the door. It was just out of reach. He tried to pull himself forward but cried out in pain as his elbow dislocated.

He'd known something was wrong.

  
"One."

  
He heaved with his other arm.

  
"Two."

  
He grabbed onto the smooth black panel next to the door, a means of controlling the door, perhaps.

  
"Three!"

  
He grit his teeth and cried out again as he dragged himself up off of the floor and tumbled through the door into nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you managed to pick up on the forshadowing I laid out throughout the earlier parts of the story!! I've been planning this event since the very first sentence I typed a year ago into focus writer, so I really hope the twist worked well. 
> 
> Explanations ar coming, I promise! As well as a more fluffy chapter, to make this one that little bit more emotinally agonizing to read back.


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